By BEN GRIECO | Gameday Operations

OSWEGO — The first half of the season has come and gone for the Oswego State ACHA Division I men’s hockey team. Sights are now set on returning to play in January and chasing two goals set back in September — an NECHL Championship and National Tournament qualification. 

As head coach Travis Hyde put it, the first half was “successful,” but the Lakers had their fair share of bumps and bruises on the road, specifically referencing a few “third-period lulls” that cost the team some numbers in the win column.

The first-year head coach said his first semester with the program was “nothing short of (his) expectations, but there is still more to prove. The adversity we have faced will help us find success the rest of the year.”

Now, all eyes are on Jan. 22 when Oswego State kicks off its series with Lawrence Technical University — a team ranked No. 26 in the nation in the most recent ACHA Division I computer rankings. The first game of the weekend is also the Lakers’ Pink The Rink night. 

(Further information on this event will be detailed below.)

It’s hard not to look past the Lawrence Tech weekend, since the Lakers go right back into league play the following weekend with a two-game tilt with conference-rival Niagara University to close out their respective series.

With the team returning to practice on January 11th, Hyde said these two weeks of practice, as well as the series against Lawrence Tech, will be crucial to accomplishing the team’s largest two goals of the season. 

Captain, Chase Nies, mentioned the team lives with a “game-by-game mindset.” 

“The team as a whole seemed to go through a molding phase with a new coaching staff and a lot of young players. The first weekend of our spring semester will be extremely crucial for the team. … Every single game, period and minute will be vital for this program,” Nies continued. 

Coach Hyde discussed factors that may contribute to finding success in January. “A big focus is going to be limiting offensive chances from opposing teams. We are typically very strong containing the rush and applying back pressure through the neutral zone, but sometimes play a bit timid in our own end. We will look to apply pressure quickly before teams get into any sort of offensive structure or rhythm. If we are able to mold that into our game, I think we will find ourselves playing more of the game in the opposing teams' end.” 

A QUICK LOOK BACK

Oswego State ended the first half of the year with an overall record of 9-5-2-1 (Win-Loss-OT Loss- SO Loss). Currently, the Lakers sit fourth with 9 points in the Northeast Collegiate Hockey League standings and a conference  record of 2-1-4-1 (Win-OT Win-Loss-OT Loss).. 

The Lakers closed out their series with both Canisius College and Rochester Institute of Technology in the first half of the year, still with a full series against Rutgers, two versus Buffalo, and two versus first-place Niagara University. 

“I’d be lying if I said anybody was happy with the way we ended the semester,” goaltender Alex Gallose said. “We had higher expectations for our group and things just haven’t fully clicked. … I’m confident in this team and know we have the capabilities to turn it around for the last few months.”

Offensively, the team has shown its depth through the first half of the year. First line trio of Trevor Jubran (13G, 12A), Chase Nies (6G, 15A) and Andrew Cardi (7G,12A) lead the team in points while being closely followed by three new faces on the Lakers roster this season in Junior transfer (Johnson and Wales D3 NCAA) Thomas Sansone (5G, 8A), Sophomore Stephen Matro (8G, 4A), and Freshman Ryan Durand (6G, 6A). 

But even some players who aren’t as heavily contributing to the scoresheet earned some praise from Head Coach, Travis Hyde, after the fall semester.

“Successful teams have guys that do the little things right. Josh Matyasik has been a very consistent guy on the defensive side for us. Josh is a guy who didn’t necessarily play at a high level prior to college, but plays with an edge and is one of the most consistent players on the team,” Hyde said. “Offensively, there have been a handful of freshmen who have each contributed positive impacts at many times through the year from special teams to big time faceoff wins and making plays to keep momentum. This just speaks to the depth we have as a team on both sides of the puck.”

THE SHORT-TERM

Oswego State returns to the ice on Jan. 22-23 with a weekend series against Lawrence Tech. Gallose said that the series “is going to be a great series to start off the semester,” noting both games are going to be tough. There is some confidence however, especially with another win over a top team in Villanova, Gallose mentioned. The Lakers traveled to Philadelphia, PA in early November and came home with a 1-1 series split against then ranked #20 Villanova Wildcats. 

The January 22nd contest against LTU will be the Lakers annual “Pink The Rink” event. Typically held in October, the Lakers partner, Menasinger Foundation, had some travel restrictions that disallowed them from traveling to New York. Coach Hyde wanted them in attendance for the event, so the date was determined to be held in January. 

SECOND-HALF OUTLOOK

If there’s anything Nies, Gallose and Hyde are preaching, it’s “confidence.” Gallose, who’s in his sixth year with the program, Nies, who’s in his fourth year, have shown continual growth as leaders on, and off, the ice, Hyde added.

While it’s Nies, Jay Chapin, Cardi and Brayden Deming who were announced as captains this season, it’s a joint effort of every member of the upper class.

“I think their (Nies, Chapin, Deming, Cardi) leadership will improve naturally, that’s why they are in these roles.. They’ll help drive the ship the rest of the way for sure,” Hyde said. “Furthermore, away from the captains, our older group of guys are all leaders. Guys like (Nicholas) Keyes, (Alex) Gallose, (Joe) Marszalek and (Martin) Simanek, and many others, all contribute to the culture of our program and the success at the college level. The young guys thrive off of their sense of leadership and direction. It’s a great thing to witness and be a part of.”

Now that there’s been some consistency in the lineup, on top of building chemistry, Nies said one of the things that’s been recognized is the depth of the program.

“With a lot of manipulation and trials with different line combinations, many of the boys have voiced that now with the chemistry built up, a solidified lineup could be the answer,” says Nies.

And even though he’s in his fifth year of actually playing with the program, due to the canceled season last year with COVID-19, Gallose mentioned he’s still constantly gaining confidence — something he has a lot of since he knows “the coaches and guys have faith in (him) to go out there and help (them) win games.”

“I’m constantly working to get better in practice. I’m seeing the puck better than I ever have. I have an unbelievable amount of confidence in my game right now and I know the team does, too,” Gallose said. “I feel like an old man being here for the past six years. … I think I’ve been able to show how much better it is on the winning side, which keeps guys focused on our goals all year. Other than that, it’s just really being there for the boys with any kind of questions they have. They obviously know I’m a fossil at this point.”

While confidence is key, the other point — something Nies mentioned, as well — is consistency. That involves a lot of “internal focus,” Hyde mentioned. “Adversity, tough times, when things aren’t going your way, they are all distractions that cause you to stay in control and focus on the task at hand. That’s when we had our ‘lulls’ and mistakes.” 

“Focusing more on what we are doing on the ice rather than what the opposition is doing. (That) is a mindset that will help to correct our first-semester mistakes,” Hyde said. “These series are crucial for sure, but they’re just another game on the schedule that can add to our consistent play and that has to be the mindset going forward.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

Travis Hyde: “On the hockey side, I expect our success to continue in the coming years and I am incredibly excited for that. But first, we have our eyes set on finishing this semester strong and bringing some hardware to Oswego. We have all the right pieces of the puzzle, they just have to come together at the right time. From the management side of things, I’m grateful for the work of not just the coaching staff, but all supporting staff, from the equipment managers, to the broadcasters and operations staff that help on gameday through this first half of the year. They are the hidden heroes of the program..”

Chase Nies: “We have the components to (be successful). And like Coach Hyde voices to the team entirely, ‘Details win championships.’”

Alex Gallose: “All I want is to be able to help the team to a championship or a trip to nationals. That’s been the goal since I got to Oswego and it still hasn’t changed. We just need to take it one game at a time and continuously build. If we play the game I know we can play I’m confident I’ll finish my career at Oswego with at least one of the two.”